Midtown, Houston, Texas
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Image:Midtownsigna.JPG Image:Midtownstreetsign1.JPG Midtown Houston is a district southwest of Downtown Houston, Texas, bordered by the Montrose area and U.S. Highway 59.
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History
Midtown was the second residential neighborhood created in Houston, following the settling of Allen's Landing. This suburb experienced explosive growth through the 1940s as the Humble Oil and Refining Company prospered, but began declining in the 1980s. Midtown was the only district in Texas to experience negative growth from 1980 to 1990.
Midtown remains home to Little Saigon, a neighborhood of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans, which pioneered the redevelopment of Midtown Houston in the 1970's. During the 1980s, Travis and Milam Streets were a mirror image of Saigon in the 1970s. Higher rents and street construction have reduced the number of Vietnamese American businesses, many of which have relocated to the Bellaire Boulevard corridor west of Sharpstown. The residents also want to ensure the efforts of the Vietnamese community are remembered.
Since the late 1990s the Midtown neighborhood has experienced retail, commercial and residential growth under the direction of the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ). "Midtown" is a fairly recent moniker; it first appeared around the time the TIRZ appeared.
Welcoming the increased infrastructure and public works services to a community which had been overlooked, some long-time Midtown residents have issues with the redevelopment. Because the price of land is skyrocketing, these people are concerned they are being pushed out of their homes. They note that they cannot afford the luxury apartment and townhomes being built and redevelopment also pushes out local independent merchants in favor of 'big name' corporate entities who are being accused of gentrification. Community Development Corporations in and around Midtown want to encourage development while promoting culturally sensitive and responsive models.
Demographics
Image:Midtown Superneighborhood.jpg According to the 2000 Census [1], the Super Neighborhood #62 Midtown (which mostly corresponds to the boundaries of the Midtown District) contains a total of 5,311 people. 1,490 (28%) of them are Hispanic, 3,821 (72%) are non-Hispanic. Of the non-Hispanic population, 2,439 (45% of total, 61% of non-Hispanics) are White, 949 (18% of total, 25% of non-Hispanics) are African-American, 8 (Less than 1% of total, less than 1% of non-Hispanics) are American Indian, 320 (6% of total, 8% of non-Hispanics) are Asian, 35 (Less than 1% of total, of less than 1% non-Hispanics) are other, and 70 (1% of total, 2% of non-Hispanics) are of two or more races.
The super neighborhood contains a total of 4,559 people above the age of 18.
The super neighborhood contains a total of 3,219 people who are male and 2,092 people who are female. 18 people are in nursing homes. Nobody is in a correctional institution, a college dormitory, or a military quarter.
There are 2,326 households, with a population of 4,142 in those households. The average household size is 1.78 people.
Arts and entertainment
Midtown has become one of the hotest nightspots in town, and is filled with a number of great restaurants, bars, theatres, and art galleries.
Some notable restaurants are:
- Julia's Bistro
- Thirsty Cactus Cantina
- The Fish
- The Breakfast Klub
- Farrago World Cuisine
- Ponzo's Italian Food
- T'afia
- Van Loc
Image:MidtownHoustonEnsembleTheater.JPG Bars include:
- Pub Fiction
- Red Door
- Front Porch Pub
- Wet Spot
- Little Woodrow's
- Tipsy Clover
Theatres, art galleries, and museums, which include:
- The Ensemble Theater (a theater that focuses on African-American themed plays)
- The Community Artists' Collective
- Houston Fire Museum
- Houston Center for Contemporary Arts
- Lawndale Art Center
- Midtown Art Center
- Destiny's Child's Recording Studio
Transportation
Image:MidtownHCCTrain.JPG Houston's METRORail Red Line runs directly through Midtown along Main Street. Three stops (Wheeler, Ensemble/HCC, and McGowen) are located in Midtown. In addition, Houston's intercity bus station (which is served by Greyhound Lines and several bus lines that serve Mexico and Central America) are located in Midtown.
Education
Houston Community College System's main campus is located in Midtown. A Houston Independent School District alternative secondary school, Houston International Studies High School, will open in 2006; International High School will be located in the HCCS Central campus.
Midtown is served by Houston ISD. One school, J. Will Jones Elementary, is located in Midtown. Pupils in Midtown who attend their neighborhood schools attend either J. Will Jones, MacGregor Elementary School (in the Hermann Park area), or Gregory Lincoln Education Center (in the Fourth Ward) for primary school. All pupils in Midtown are zoned to Gregory Lincoln for middle school. Almost all of Midtown is zoned to Lamar High School (in Upper Kirby), while a small northwest section of Midtown is zoned to Reagan High School (in the Houston Heights). A former school, San Jacinto High School, is the current home of the Central Campus of the Houston Community College System.
Saint Agnes Academy was located in what is now Midtown from its founding in 1906 to 1963. The school moved to the Sharpstown neighborhood in 1963, where it resides as of 2006.